The new cultivar was discovered as a chance, naturally occurring whole plant mutation of the parent variety, an unnamed, unpatented selection of Clusia rosea. ‘Whistar’ was discovered by Edward Bruinen, a citizen of the Netherlands in a commercial planting of Clusia rosea in February of 2003, at a commercial greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘WHISTAR’ by vegetative cuttings was first performed in Maasdijk, the Netherlands at a commercial greenhouse in June 2003 and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type through successive generations.